THE MOA FOOTPRINTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3549, 13 June 1912, Page 5

THE MOA FOOTPRINTS.

LEGEND OF RONGO-KAKO’S Kivn. To a Gisborne Times, reporter yesterday, Panipa Waihope, an authority on Maori legendry, complained that his explanation as to the moa footprints on the Waikanae beach, which appeared in the press recently, was misrepresented. Panipa explains that his story was taken by a pakeha, who distorted it in the telling. The pakeha credited him with saving that the footprints on the Waikanae beach were those of Rongo-Ivako, whereas what he stud was that the footprints had been made by Rongo-Ivako’s Kiwi. He pointed out that Rongo-Ivako was a giant, who passed up- the Coast once upon a time. He was so big that he wore something like sevenleague boots; one footmark would be at Gisborne and the other at Whangara. , . , He was followed by a tame bird, a Kiwi, Maori legend has it, and this was probably a moa, whose footprints arc being unearthed to-day. To say that the footprints were those of Rongo Ivako would be absurd. as Rongo-Ivako was a human. What Panina had said and what he still said was that the footprints were thtvc- of Rongo-Ivako’s Kiwi.

We have .pleasure in drawing our readers’ attention to the beautiful exhibition of aid : needlework, worked fov hand by Airs Walker, now.on. view in the windows of The Beehive.

Air. J. McCullough is t-o be entertained by the Trades Council and •other workers of Gisborne on Monday evening, in Wootton’s rooms All unionists are invited to attend, one shilling being charged for admission.